Live events are often a whirlwind of keynote speakers, networking, and breakout sessions.
But, before you know it, the weeks of preparation are over in a flash –– on average, companies need between 3-6 weeks to prepare and promote a small virtual event. Creating event recap videos are one way to ensure your content lives on, long after your event wraps up.
Event recap videos are also a way of boosting brand awareness, promoting future events, and reaching more of your target audience.
In this post, we’ll share tips, best practices, and examples so you can create shareable event recap videos that not only help attendees remember the highlights but also encourage people to sign up for your next event.
What is an event recap video?
An event recap video is a short video summarizing an in-person, hybrid, or virtual event.
Event recap videos are usually around one to three minutes long. They’re designed to give viewers a clear idea of what the event was like.
During the event, a videographer captures all the visual and audio content. Depending on the event, a videographer may capture keynote speakers, audience reactions, breakouts, and Q&A sessions. Later, an editor then uses the footage, sound bites, and key moments to trim, merge, etc. to create a unique event recap video.
These edited clips are then combined with on-brand graphics, and music to create a memorable snapshot of the event. Here's an example from Vimeo's event in collaboration with The Vendry in Los Angeles.
Why create and distribute event recap videos?
Recap videos help marketers capture the essence of an event. Participants can relive the experience while those unable to attend may feel motivated to sign up next time.
Event recap videos also help your event production budget go further, so your event continues to entertain, educate, and delight after the final curtain call.
Maximize ROI and create evergreen content
Following weeks of careful planning, you don’t want your event to be forgotten as soon as it’s over. Recap videos help maximize your event’s exposure and ensure it remains at the forefront of your audience’s mind.
They’re also a way of repurposing event footage into evergreen content and getting more value from your initial investment. Use event recap videos to create social media posts, website content, newsletters, and future promotional campaigns.
Boost the reach of your event and increase conversions
By publishing event recap videos, you’ll reach a broader audience of people who didn’t attend your event. People who couldn’t attend or who weren’t aware of the event can still experience its highlights, get an idea of its value, and perhaps be convinced to attend your next edition.
Plus, a well-produced event recap video may be highly shareable, and generate buzz across your chosen social media platforms.
This increase in engagement may lead to conversions like more event registrations, subscriptions, or sales.
Latha Youngren, CMO of event management software Tripleseat, says the recap video of their annual conference, EventCamp helps them across multiple digital marketing campaigns and for promoting their company culture.
“Beyond the recap content itself, the video serves other purposes. We use it when promoting next year’s EventCamp in emails, social media, blog posts, and paid content. It’s a great way to show our customer service and company culture when applying for event awards.”
Show the success of your event
Recap videos are a visual representation of a successful event. By showcasing attendee testimonials, positive feedback, and the overall energy of the event, marketers can build trust that there’s value in their events. People who haven’t attended in the past get the chance to see what they’ve been missing out on.
How to create and distribute event recap videos
The trick to a captivating event recap video is all in the preparation. Know what story you want to tell and to whom before you begin creating. Then, create a well-thought out distribution strategy so you get it in front of your target audience.
Plan your recap video before the event has wrapped up
Before the event, make a clear plan for capturing the key moments you want to include in your recap video.
Latha of Tripleseat explains that the secret to a successful event recap video is plenty of planning. Before the company’s annual conference kicks off, they already have a clear vision for their post-video content.
“At Tripleseat, the planning begins long before EventCamp starts. We identify the types of visuals we’d like to include in the video, the most appealing locations within the venue, high-profile speakers, and attendee reactions”, she says.
“We contract a local videographer and brief them on what to film, the vibe of the background music, the scope of work, and deadlines.”
Determine your target audience and key message
An event recap video created for past attendees may look different from one designed to convince future attendees to sign up. Before your videographer begins filming, determine the purpose of your video and its target audience.
Is it a highlight reel, social proof, a teaser for next year, or something else? When you know exactly what message you want to convey with your recap video, it’ll be much easier to build your storyline.
Nebojsa Savicic, co-founder of video automation software Plainly, says the event recap video should make your audience feel like they were there.
“You have to come up with a plan. Think about what you want your audience to take away from the video. Is it the highlights of the event, the keynote speaker, or the behind-the-scenes action? Once you have a clear idea of your goals, you can start mapping out the content for your video.”
If you want to help recent attendees remember your event, you may choose to feature key learnings and highlights from Q&A sessions. But a teaser designed to encourage future sign-ups may include more testimonials and footage of the overall energy of the event.
For example, Snap uses their event recap video to generate excitement for their latest feature releases.
Format it according to channel specs
How you format your video depends on the distribution channels you use. So, think about whether landscape or vertical video orientations are best for your chosen platforms.
For example, if you plan to post your recap video on Instagram, you’ll likely want to use a vertical orientation. If you plan on embedding the video into a blog post, you may prefer to format it as a landscape video. Always double check each platform’s specs before posting to make sure your video uploads - whether they be to TikTok, YouTube, or another platform, look their best.
Skincare brand Dermalogica shared a vertical event recap video of their Skin Speakeasy event. The brand later shared the vertical video on their Instagram Stories to promote in-person appointments at their LA clinic.
Build a distribution strategy
Creating a distribution strategy helps get more eyes on your video. Before you hit publish, list out all the channels you want to use to promote your recap video. Post it on those places where your target audience is most likely to spend time.
“Our recap video went viral, generating buzz in the marketing community and attracting thousands of views. It boosted our brand's visibility, established us as a thought leader, and generated leads.”
Get creative and think about how to repurpose the video content into Reels, image carousels, written actionable takeaways, or blog posts.
Latha Youngren explains how Tripleseat shares the video in several places to maximize its exposure.
“We share our recap video follow-up emails to attendees, publish it in multiple social media posts, encourage employees to promote to their networks, embed it in a recap blog post, and on the EventCamp website,” she says. “We also tag speakers and attendees featured in the video so they’re aware of it and can share it with their networks.”
If you’re sharing the video on your site or blog consider how you can best optimize it for search. Maria Harutyunyan, co-founder & Head of SEO at Loopex Digital explains how they made their recap go viral.
“We optimized the video by using keywords like ‘marketing conference recap,’ ‘industry insights,’ and ‘networking success.’ Then we transcribed the video, created an SEO-friendly landing page on our website, and embedded the video alongside a compelling blog post,” she says.
Time it right
When you post your recap video depends on your goals. If you want to engage with recent participants and remind them of the event’s key learnings and highlights, it’s best to post shortly after the event so it’s fresh in their minds.
If your goal is to encourage sign-ups for your next event in three months, post the video in the weeks leading up to the event.
Event recap video best practices
Ready to create an event recap video? Follow these three best practices before you get started.
- Make it short and sweet
Your event recap video is a short summary of all the action –– not a blow-by-blow account of everything that happened.
Be mindful of your viewer’s time and attention span. For example, Nexus created a recap video of just two minutes and included perspectives from attending industry thought leaders.
If you’ve got leftover footage, you can repurpose it into social media posts or other promotional videos and save on your video production budget.
- Include social proof
Incorporating elements of social proof can help you win brand credibility. When potential attendees see the positive experiences recent participants enjoyed, they may be more likely to sign up for your next event.
Online business community Tweak Your Biz, includes social proof in their recap video by asking attendees and speakers to share the highlights of their experience.
- Showcase big names
If you hosted any well-known industry thought leaders, brands, or influencers, feature them in your content. It’s a form of social currency that might convince other people to sign up for your next edition.
There’s also the bonus that if you tag these people or brands in your content, they may reshare the video with their followers, expanding your reach.
For example, the creative festival SXSW includes well-known film and television personas like Robert Downey Jr, Elizabeth Olsen, and Eva Longoria in their daily event recap.
The wrap up
Once you've created and distributed your event recap video, you can also leverage tools from Vimeo for your future events like our AI script generator, video teleprompter, AI caption generator, and AI video translator.
